“Both are doing very well, thank you.”
I grinned, feeling happy and proud of her. “That’s fantastic.”
“How about you? How’s your business in Las Vegas?”
I knew she was talking about the club Sam and I were planning, but what I immediately thought of was the annulment.
“Speaking of business items, I downloaded those papers from the Nevada website.”
“Oh.”
I swore that the tenor in her voice had gone from happy to disappointed. Fuck. Then again, it was probably wishful thinking on my part.
“I haven’t filled them out yet. All this gobbledygook makes it look like I need to deliver them directly,” I said.
“If you want, when you come out here, I can go through them with you.” There was a tentativeness in her voice, but I couldn’t be sure if she was worried about implying that I needed help to read the document because of my dyslexia or a disappointment that I was determined to fill out the documents at all.
My first instinct was to go with the latter and think she didn’t want me to file the documents. Jesus Fuck. I wasn’t sure I wanted to file the documents. That made no sense. I knew this woman for two days. Why would I even contemplate wanting to stay married to a woman I didn’t know? I wondered if Sam’s brain was scrambled like this. It would make sense why he was acting like a maniac ever since Kate had walked back into his life. These crazy thoughts and emotions were just another reason relationships should be avoided. A person couldn’t live like this.
“It wouldn’t hurt to have another pair of eyes on it to make sure I’ve understood everything. I suppose I could hire a lawyer, but I’d rather not do that.”
“Yes. I understand.” Her voice still sounded as if she didn’t like what I was saying. I wanted this call to go well, but I could quickly feel it slipping away.
“I’ll be flying out to California with my brother after Thanksgiving to check on plans for our Los Angeles club.” Because I didn’t want her to think I was sharing my schedule so that I could meet with her to get the annulment, I continued on. “I have this feeling that my brother hasn’t done anything since the last time I was there. His mind and his heart are totally elsewhere.”
“Oh? Where’s that?”
“He ran into his ex when he got out there. But she’s not just any ex-girlfriend. She was the one he had hoped to marry.”
As much as I didn’t feel I should share Sam’s business, since it was unlikely Amelia would ever meet him or any of my family, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell her.
“So, he has a second chance?”
“That’s what he’s hoping for. To be honest, he acts like his very life depends on it. I don’t get it, but Sam has always been like that.”
“Like what?”
“He’s much more open with his feelings. But Kate isn’t making it easy for him, and I’m worried she’s going to break him.”
“Oh, that’s sad.”
“She has some justification for not trusting him. But Sam is in it for the long haul, and if she ever sees that in him and how much he loves her, hopefully, she’ll give him a chance.” While I wasn’t interested in forever after, I knew Sam was, and I hoped he’d get it.
“Well, I hope she does. True love is nice, don’t you think?”
I scraped my hand over my face. I’d wanted to talk to Amelia, but not about love. “I suppose. For Sam, anyway.”
“But not for you?”
“Not for me.”
She was silent on the other end for a minute, and I wondered what she was thinking.
“It sounds like there’s a story in that but one that you don’t want to tell, so I won’t ask.”
“I appreciate that.” I should’ve let the topic drop right there, but my curiosity got the best of me. “What about you? Is there a true love in your future?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe someday. That’s not the focus of my life right now. I’m not looking for a man. “